What unfolded on the shores of Muizenberg Beach this past weekend was far more than a surf challenge. It was a powerful reminder of what can happen when people come together with heart, purpose, and a willingness to show up for others.
On Saturday, 9 May 2026, 9Miles Project hosted its 2nd Annual 100Wave Challenge, bringing together surfers, families, volunteers, sponsors, and community partners for a day rooted in courage, connection, and collective impact.
And despite some of the wildest waves Muizenberg has seen in years, participants paddled out again and again, pushing through cold water, rip currents, and heavy conditions to complete 100 waves in support of youth living in underserved coastal communities.
And because of that shared effort, we didn’t just meet our fundraising target of R250 000… we surfed right past it, raising an incredible R287 957 in support of surf therapy, mentorship, educational support, life-skills development, and safe recreational spaces for youth in underserved coastal communities.
As Nigel Savel so beautifully shared: “Changing a child’s life cannot happen in isolation… it takes a village. Real impact happens when communities come together and take collective action with a shared purpose to create spaces of hope, belonging, and opportunity.”
And this past Saturday, that village showed up in full force.
While surfers battled heavy conditions in the ocean, the grass area behind the beachfront transformed into a vibrant festival of music, creativity, games, and connection. Families gathered around art stations, children raced between lawn games, drumming circles echoed across the field, and the smell of coffee and warm food filled the air.
A heartfelt thank you to Ocean Pledge for leading the beach clean-up initiatives and sandcastle building competition, bringing environmental awareness and fun together in such a meaningful way.
Huge gratitude also goes to CBN Southern Africa for creating such a joyful art station experience and bringing Gizmo from Superbook to life – a moment that had children and adults equally excited, and PME together with PNA for helping bring the art stations to life through donated supplies and vouchers.
To Beat and Nicole Fehr a special thank you for creating a top-notch experience with the e-bikes.
Keagan Fish once again carried the soundtrack of the day, filling the beachfront with music and debuting a brand-new 100Wave song that perfectly captured the energy of the event.
To Innerkid Games – thank you for the lawn games that the children could not get enough of.
None of this would have been possible without the incredible partners and service providers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes.
Thank you to Berlinda from NUtec Digital Ink and the BRG Team, paramedic Michael van Dieman, MediGenix, and the Strandfontein Life Saving Club for ensuring participants remained safe in challenging conditions and to Surf NexGen and coaches Mika, Sophie, Jessie, and Payton for showing up so wholeheartedly to support surfers throughout the challenge.
Cape Tents arrived before sunrise to create beautiful and safe spaces for participants and activity stations, while Progressive Production Audio set the tone for the entire day with incredible sound and atmosphere from beginning to end. Jackery kept the event powered all day long, from speakers to coffee machines.
And then there was the food because no 9Miles gathering is complete without meals shared in community.
From Raadiah’s early morning koesisters, Wajid’s Chicken Tikka & Takeaways legendary akni, Kitchen Republik’s chicken breyani, Kay’s Kitchen fruit platters and platters for participants, Table Seven’s meals for the children, Sirroco Café and SALT Kalk Bay pizzas, Pizza Inn’s support for the kids’ teams, and Wildwood’s organic yerba matté drinks – every contribution carried warmth and generosity.
A huge thank you as well to Aquabella our hydration partner, for keeping everyone hydrated throughout the day, Spar Weltevreden for refreshments, Freshstop Bayview for the fresh fruit packs for the kids, Seattle Coffee Company for fueling our participants and volunteers and Karen Sedres and family for donating towards the platters.
Participants also walked away with thoughtfully curated goodie bags thanks to Simply Bee, Revive, Instinct, Brother Bees, PVM Nutritional Sciences, Ocean Freedom, Reef, and Vic Bay.
We are equally grateful to our incredible prize, rash vest and raffle sponsors who helped us celebrate the day in true 9Miles style:
Tamboti Bush Lodge, DoubleTree by Hilton, Karma, Kingdom Boards, Salty Horizon Lodge, Gold Restaurant, Cape Town Tandem Paragliding, Two Oceans Aquarium, Acrobranch, Wazoogles, RYD, Surf Lab, Surf Emporium, Waveski, Coral Wetsuits, Harvest Café, Empire Café, Lifestyle Surf Shop, and Table Mountain Aerial Cableway.
And finally, to the people who captured every smile, wipeout, hug, cheer, and emotional moment – thank you to Alan van Gysen and daughter Keahlo, Brad and the Head in the Clouds team, Colin Fitch Photography, Surf Expo Africa for the drone shots, Beat Fehr, Brian Savel and our in-house 9Miles photographer Stanton and the entire media team for documenting the moments that words often cannot fully capture.
As the sun set over Muizenberg Beach, one thing became undeniably clear: the 100Wave Challenge is no longer just an event. It has become a growing community movement built on recreation, resilience and the belief that every child deserves access to hope and opportunity.
“This year reminded us that progress is not made in perfect conditions,” said Sher’Neil Savel. “It is made when people keep showing up, even when it’s tough, because someone else’s future depends on it.”
From every wave surfed to every hand extended in support, this year’s 100Wave Challenge proved that when a community moves together with purpose, impact reaches far beyond the shoreline.
View the full 2026 100Wave Challenge Close-Out Report to relive the moments, milestones, and magic that made this year unforgettable.
